Rams News: LA Linebacker Emerges As Team's Most Underrated Defender

He'll have a lot to prove in 2023.

Dec 31, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Tyrod Taylor (2) runs against Los ANgeles Rams defender Ernest Jones. | Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Former 10-time Pro Bowl Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald casts a long shadow through his absence on this year's team. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year retired in the offseason after a decade-long run of dominance.

Per Zoltán Buday of Pro Football Focus, Donald may have an unheralded successor on the team already (at least, in terms of L.A. finding its next defensive leader, though it will be tough to live up to Donald's legend or accomplishments): linebacker Ernest Jones.

“Naturally, Aaron Donald received all the attention on the Rams’ defense over the past decade," Buday writes. "His retirement means Jones should get more recognition, especially if he continues to play like he did in his third season. He finished the 2023 campaign with an 86.2 PFF overall grade, which ranked 13th at the position. He was also one of just three linebackers to earn run-defense and pass-rush grades above 80.0.”

Jones, a team captain in 2023, is a multifaceted contributor whom L.A. recently started using in blitzes much more frequently last fall. He led the NFL in quarterback pressures for a linebacker last season, with 37. Los Angeles selected the 6-foot-2, 230-pound pro out of South Carolina with the No. 103 pick in the third round of the 2021 draft. It's pretty encouraging that he's already achieving these benchmarks after just three seasons.

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